Jamie Reid (b. 1947), designer of this t-shirt, developed his cut-and-paste aesthetic from his interest in radical politics. His artistic style developed while at art college in Croydon, where he was influenced by the ideas of the avant-garde political group, the Situationist International. The political slant to his art was aroused by the May 1968 Paris student riots, which inspired fraternal protests organised by Reid at the Croydon College of Art. These were directed with fellow student Malcolm McLaren (1946-2010), later to become the manager of the Sex Pistols.

From 1971, McLaren managed a boutique on King's Road in Chelsea, selling clothes designed by Vivienne Westwood . Originally selling Teddy Boy styles, and called 'Let It Rock', the name was changed in 1972 to 'Too Fast To Live Too Young To Die', and in 1974 renamed 'SEX'. McLaren had been heavily influenced by the Punk scene coming out of New York at the time, and the designs sold took on fetish and bondage influences. The Sex Pistols were named after this shop, but the final name was changed to 'Seditionaries' in 1976, just as the Pistols were becoming famous.

This t-shirt was from the 'Seditionaries' collection and was worn, ripped and burnt with cigarettes by Johnny Rotten, singer with the Sex Pistols. Based on the Jamie Reid's cover of the Sex Pistols debut album, it uses a more sickly yellow manmade transparent fabric, printed with the motif of the record. Rotten burnt cigarette holes through the vowel letters, most likely as part of his stage performance.